Highlights d high SARS-CoV-2 IgG but overall reduced T cell immunity in active COVID-19 patients d PD-1, Tim-3, and active caspases in T cells result in impaired T cell function d stable SARS-CoV-2 T cell repertoire yet declining humoral responses during recovery d potentially protective role of pre-existing anti-huCoV CD4 + and CD8 + T cell immunity

Cytolytic CD8 + T cells are critical for the control of acute Friend virus (FV) infection yet they fail to completely eliminate the virus during chronic infection because they are functionally impaired by regulatory T cells (Treg). We performed a kinetic analysis of T cell responses during FV infection to determine when dysfunction of CD8 + T cells and suppressive activity of CD4 + regulatory T cells develops. At 1 week post infection, virusspecific CD8 + T cells with effector phenotype and cytolytic potential expanded. Peak expansion was found at 12 days post infection, correlating with peak viral loads. After 2 weeks when viral loads dropped, numbers of activated CD8 + T cells started to decline. However, a population of virus-specific CD8 + T cells with effector phenotype was still detectable subsequently, but these cells had lost their ability to produce granzymes and to degranulate cytotoxic molecules. Contemporaneous with the development of CD8 + T cell dysfunction, different CD4 + T cell populations expressing cell surface markers for Treg and the Treg-associated transcription factor Foxp3 expanded. Transfer as well as depletion experiments indicated that regulatory CD4 + cells developed during the second week of FV infection and subsequently suppressed CD8 + T cell functions, which was associated with impaired virus clearance.

This prospective study investigated viral and host markers after stopping long-term therapy with nucleos(t)ide analogues in noncirrhotic patients with hepatitis B e antigen-negative chronic hepatitis B. After stopping therapy, 13 of 15 patients experienced a virological relapse. Rebound of hepatitis B virus DNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen was associated with induction of plasma tumor necrosis factor, interleukin (IL) 10 , IL-12p70, CXCL10 and subsequent decline in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), with 20% HBsAg loss after long-term follow-up. The peak levels of hepatitis B virus DNA and hepatitis B core-related antigen after cessation of therapy were positively correlated with the level of HBsAg decline at week 48. Thus, stopping or interrupting NA treatment should be further investigated as a strategy to accelerate HBsAg loss.